From Striving to Abiding: A New Year Invitation

If you’ve ever entered a new year feeling hopeful - but also tired - this blog was written for you. Rather than rushing into goals or resolutions, we’ll explore what rest truly means, why so many women feel weary even when they’re “doing all the right things,” and how God gently invites us into a different rhythm. One rooted in grace, presence, and abiding.

As we step into a new year, I find myself wondering…What if this year isn’t about another resolution - but about an invitation?

An invitation to slow the pace. To release striving. To learn the rhythms of rest and grace. To draw closer to the heart of God, not by doing more, but by abiding more deeply.

What if 2026 is a year of choosing presence over pressure? A year of learning how to live, work, and love from a place of rest?

I’m excited to share that I am now a Certified 7 Types of Rest® Facilitator and Wellbeing Consultant, and this year I’ll be guiding our Flourish community through a grace-filled exploration of what it truly means to rest - so that you can flourish in mind, body, and spirit.

Throughout the year, we’ll gently explore:

·         The 7 Types of Rest® and why they matter.

·         How unmet rest needs quietly impact your energy, clarity, and wellbeing.

·         Simple, sustainable Rest Practices you can weave into everyday life.

To begin, it’s important to clarify something foundational:

Sleep and rest are not the same thing.

Sleep is a state of unconsciousness that supports physical recovery.

Rest is what rejuvenates your mind, body, and soul so you can engage fully with daily life.

Both are essential, and while you may be sleeping, you may still be deeply unrested.

As the cornerstone of the foundation we will build on throughout the year, I would like to first draw your attention to Psalm 46:10 - “Be still and know that I am God.” 1

The Hebrew word for “be still” in Psalm 46:10 is raphah (רָפָה) which means “to be weak, to let go, or to release.”  It is an active relinquishing of control.

The Hebrew noun for raphah (מְרַפֵּא) means healing. And a name of God, Jehovah Rapha, means “God, my Healer.”

The word know in Hebrew is yada, which means "an intimate knowing" (such as husband and wife.) This form of the word would suggest that the simple act of being silent before God will bring about an intimacy with His heart. God is telling us to not only be silent and know that He is God, but also use this silence to bring about a healing process.

When we are in the presence of God and when we can be still - raphah (to let go, release, surrender, trust) enough to receive His love, we come away changed.

Just as God’s love is a gift to be received, so is rest.

“A fundamental truth that might challenge your current beliefs is that Rest is not a luxury. Nor is it something you need to earn. Neither is it something you do as a reward for work. It is a biological necessity as fundamental as breathing. In our modern world, we’ve lost touch with what true rest really means, often confusing it with sleep or inactivity. While sleep is crucial, it’s just one component of a complete rest practice.

The Science behind rest is fascinating and might surprise you. Recent neuroscience research has revealed that when we engage in proper rest, specific neural networks in our brain activate. Specifically what we call the Default Mode Network. This network is responsible for and plays a crucial role in Memory consolidation, Emotional processing, Creative problem solving, and Self-reflection. Think of it as your brain’s central integration and maintenance system. When we don’t get adequate rest, this network can’t function properly. Leading to reduced gray matter volume, impaired cognitive function and compromised emotional regulation.” 2

What happens when we feel depleted, our thinking becomes distorted and our emotions run amok? I am speaking from experience when I say that we become anxious. We feel afraid. We desperately seek for control to feel safe. We look for shortcuts. We seek what brings us comfort. We allow distractions and vices to draw us - with the lure of filling up the ache inside - in an effort to avoid what feels so empty, unfulfilling or uncomfortable. And in the process, we miss the very thing our souls so desperately seek – genuine rest that restores. To be fully seen and known, and fully loved to such a depth that we can fall into the arms of Love Himself and rest.

In The Power of Quiet, Discovering the Strength of a Peaceful Soul, Aimee Walker writes, “Resting in God is a conscious choice to redirect our thoughts. To allow His love and truth to overpower our fears, disappointments, impossibilities and brokenness. When we choose rest, we are allowing Him to be bigger than what we face. And far from weak, lazy, or passive, rest is a better strategy. A powerful weapon that releases God to be God and enables us to experience first-hand the acts of salvation.” 3

So I want to ask you, where is God gently inviting you into a different rhythm? A rhythm rooted in grace, presence, and abiding?

If your heart is longing for a slower, more life-giving way to begin the year, I invite you to sit with these truths.

Prayer: "God of rest and renewal, as we enter this New Year, quiet our hearts. Help us release ourselves from the pressure to strive, prove, and perform. Teach us how to abide in You. To receive Your grace, listen to your voice, and trust that rest is not reward, but a gift. Lead us into rhythms that restore and bring us back to life. In Jesus Name. Amen."

Be sure to check out my upcoming Devotional Reflection Abide: Resting Where Life Flows - Learning to Stop Striving and Remain Rooted in Christ.

This Devotional Blog is written by Jen Stone-Sexton - Author, Speaker, Teacher, Certified Christian Life Coach, Certified 7 Types of Rest® Facilitator + Wellbeing Consultant, and Founder of Freedom to Flourish Life Coaching.

Through coaching, teaching, and soul-centered practices, Jen supports women who are longing to rest well, live aligned, and flourish in mind, body, and spirit. If you sense God inviting you into deeper alignment or intentional rest in this season, you’re warmly invited to learn more about Jen’s coaching and current offerings. 👉 Learn more here.

Jennifer C. Stone-Sexton © 2026

All graphics created by Jen Stone-Sexton © 2026

All Rights Reserved.  

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Credits:

[1] Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

[2] Dalton Smith, Dr. Saundra. Sacred Rest, Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity. (c) 2017 FaithWords, Hachette Book Group, New York, New York. Reference credit to 7 Types of Rest® - 7 Types of Rest® is a registered trademark of Dr. Saundra Dalton Smith and is used under license. All Rights Reserved.

[3] Walker, Aimee. The Power of Quiet, Discovering the Strength of a Peaceful Soul, © Joyful Life Study.